This is a great book to give to anyone whose decision-making is based on
left-brain thinking. Francione is a polarizing and controversial figure in
the Animal Rights Movement. However, this book, co-written with Anna
Charlton, concisely makes an airtight case for veganism. To his credit,
Francione starts with the premise that human needs take precedence over the
needs of animals. Many vegans, and probably Francione himself, believe
otherwise. But the fact remains that the vast majority of people prioritize
human needs. But that doesn't weaken the case for veganism, since we don't
need to consume animal products. All that matters, as the authors point out,
is that we believe that animals merit our moral concern. That's a belief
shared by the overwhelming majority of people.
- Jeffrey Cohan, Jewish Vegetarians
I found this book to be unsettling, given the deft way it brought me face to
face with the hypocrisy I have lived with . . . until now. All my life I
have been a passionate animal lover, yet I have always consumed the typical,
animal products- centered diet. Now I finally see that consuming animal
products by a compassionate animal lover is hypocrisy at its worst. Even for
those indifferent to animals, the authors' summary of the extreme
environmental degradation caused by the meat, dairy and poultry industries
needs to serve as a wake-up call. This quick read is an excellent follow-up
to either The End of Food or What the Health.
- Heather CC09 (Amazon review)
"Eat Like You Care" is an essential, empowering read for anyone who cares
about animals. This slim but compelling volume should be required reading in
every high school, college classroom, faith community and social justice
circle. Professors Francione & Charlton's approach is extremely accessible,
straightforward and logical, and their presentation of the moral arguments
for ethical veganism can only be described as airtight. A book with truly
international scope and appeal, it has already been translated into nine
languages since its initial publication in 2013 (apparently with more to
come), including Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian and Russian.
Indeed, "Eat Like You Care" would appear destined to become a modern
classic, not merely in the realm of animal ethics, but in the literatures of
social justice and moral philosophy as well. Most highly recommended,
without hesitation or equivocation.
- Tracy McDonnell (Amazon review)
I would recommend this book to everyone. It explains the moral reasoning
behind vegan eating on its most basic levels and addresses literally every
question or objection non-vegans have for vegans in very respectful, logical
and simple ways.
Since it's written by lawyers, at times the sentences can be a bit long and
over-explanatory, but it isn't difficult for the adult reader to piece
together the point of each sentence.
If you are a vegan it gives you excellent, straight-forward logic with which
to address the questions you may be asked. If you are a non-vegan, it helps
you see that there really is no realistic exception that allows for the
consumption of animal products.
Not a long read either. I finished in about 2 days but if you had the time
you could finish in 2-3 hours.
- Elle8 (Amazon review)
This book is thought-provoking, compelling and extremely accessible. Whilst
one doesn't necessarily need to agree with some the theoretical foundations
proposed, or with some of the views expressed, e.g. that we’re all Michael
Vick, this book is enormously beneficial. An argument for veganism is
elegantly presented as being based on two intuitive principles: the first
principle is that we have a moral obligation not to impose unnecessary
suffering on animals. It follows from this principle that if animals matter
morally at all, we cannot consume them or products made from them and we are
committed to a vegan diet. The second principle is that although animals
matter morally, humans matter more. Regardless of whether you agree with the
theoretical foundation proposed for veganism, Eat Like You Care is excellent
at responding to the most common questions and objections to veganism, such
as “where do you get your protein from?” and “What would happen to all those
animals if we did not eat them?” and a long list of similar “buts” that
vegans are often confronted with. The book ends with a defence of veganism
against the charge of extremism and concludes as follows: “What is extreme
is that we say we care about animals but we continue to eat animals and
animal products.” If you’re a relatively new vegan, you’ll feel more
empowered to answer awkward questions with conviction, and you’ll be even
more determined to educate yourself further on the subject by further
reading and reflecting. If you're not a vegan but care at all about animals,
I hope that this book will seriously challenge your convictions.
- Susy P (Amazon review)
If not yet vegan, these are questions to consider. If now vegan, these are
the questions you probably asked yourself while on your journey. The journey
continues, and this book is a good tool to take with you.
- R Mihalcik (Amazon review)
Gary L. Francione is Board of Governors Professor, Distinguished Professor Law and Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy at Rutgers University School of Law. Anna Charlton is Adjunct Professor of Law at Rutgers University School of Law. She was the co-founder and co-director (with Gary L. Francione) of the Rutgers Animal Rights Law Clinic from 1990-2000.
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